#PRESEDENTIALSWAG – President Barack Obama’s big black bus may be seen again on a campaign trail near you.
The bus, a “Matrix”-like, sleek armored vehicle with secure communications equipment, got its first road test this week when Mr. Obama took it from the Twin Cities, south across northeast Iowa and into southern Illinois. After the trip, the bus will be parked in Washington, to be used by the president and others under Secret Service protection.
The Secret Service purchased two of the $1.1 million vehicles for its use. The president, the vice president and a future Republican presidential nominee may all use it at one point or another, said Secret Service spokesman Ed Donovan.
The bus might also be used if a protectee were in a remote location, say, camping, and the Secret Service needed secure communications equipment nearby, he said. Read more
